Transfer tail traction mechanism

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for automatic formation of a transfer tail on a continuous delivery winding device including a bobbin changer wherein an oscillating thread guiding device traverses the normal winding zone of a winding spool and shifts the yarn during bobbin change to the transfer tail zone at one end of the new or empty spool.

[ Feb. 20, 1973 United States Patent Bitter 3,385,532 5/1968Sparling...... ............,.......242/18 PW 3,428,266 2/1969 Emery PW3,559,901 2/1971 Schnetzer et al. ..................242/18 A FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,104,156 2/1968 GreatBritain......................242/18 A [73] Assignee: Heberlein PatentCorporatiohll lew York, N.Y.

[22] Fil d; V A i|2 1970 Primary Examiner-Stanley N.Gi1reath 211Appl.No.: 30,130

Attorney-Ward, McElhannon, Brooks and Fitzpatric [57] ABSTRACT Apparatusfor automatic formation of a transfer tail on a continuous deliverywinding device including a bobbin changer wherein an oscillating threadguiding device traverses the normal winding zone of a winding spool andshifts the yarn during bobbin change to the transfer tail zone at oneend of the new or empty [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 23,1969 Switzerland.....................,..15956/69 [52] U.S. Cl. A, 242/18PW [51] Int. Cl. 54/02 [58] Field ofSearch........................242/l8 A, 18 PW [56] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 3,310,247 3/1967Emeru..........,.....................242/18A 3,355,117 11/1967Gerhardtetal....................242/18A TRANSFER TAIL TRACTION MECHANISMThis invention relates to apparatus useful in winding threads or yarns(hereinafter yarns) on bobbins and the like, and more particularly, tosuch apparatus capable of automatically forming a transfer tail on thebobbin or other winding device during continuous delivery at windingspeeds of the order of 1,000 meters per minute or more.

In apparatus of the type presently known for bobbin changing, it isusual to immobilize one or more bobbins by separating them from theirdriving means while the changeover takes place, thus interrupting thewinding operation. However, since in some textile machines such asfalse-twist machines, for example, the yarn is continuously advanced, itis desirable that the winding procedure also be continuous in order thatthe two operations may proceed in synchronous order. For this purpose,the formation of a transfer tail on the empty bobbins or take-up tubeswhen they are ready for spool changing is necessary. This is presentlydone by drawing off a length of yarn needed for the transition from thefull to the empty bobbin by hand or by means of a suction device or thelike, and placing some reserve windings on the empty bobbin body, theyarn end being fixed by means of an adhesive surface structure of thetake-up tube, such as flocking, roughness or indentations, for example.These processes are highly time consuming and generally lead tosubstantial losses of material. Apparatus are also known wherein thetransfer tail formation of the yarn is effected on star orcylinder-shaped support bodies placed in advance of or subsequent to thetake-up tube, in the machine direction, and connected either by anelastic coupling with the delivery mechanism or the drive mechanism ofthe take-up tube.

It will be appreciated that the transition from one bobbin to anothermust not have any disturbing effect on the yarn, and the knotting of thetwo yarn ends must not consume a great deal of time. The transfer tailshould, of course, be no longer than necessary for knotting because ifthe ends are too long, they must be wound off manually, which isadditionally time consuming.

I have conceived apparatus of the class described which provides forautomatic formation of a transfer tail during bobbin changing by meansof the addition of such apparatus to an automatic or semi-automaticbobbin changing device such, for example, as described in copending U.S. Application Ser. No. 728,966, filed May 14, 1968, now US. Pat. No.3,559,901 wherein an empty bobbin is exchanged for a full one while thedrive cylinder is continuously rotating; and I have actually constructeda successfully operating and commercially desirable apparatus based onthat concept.

In essence, my invention resides in the utilization of apparatus for theautomatic formation of a transfer tail on a yarn winding device duringcontinuous thread delivery characterized by a traverse device havingguide means extending horizontally in parallel with the axis of a bobbinbody and extending over the whole of the transfer tail zone as well asthe winding zone of a take-up tube or bobbin, a carrier slidablerelative to the guide means by means of a cord or rope drive mechanism,a yarn guide for receiving the advancing yarn during bobbin changingbetween an empty winding bobbin and a wound-up bobbin and shifting theyarn into the transfer tail zone situated selectively in one of the twoperipheral end zones of the empty winding bobbin. My apparatus mayconveniently be mounted for operation with an automatic orsemi-automatic bobbin changer by securing same on the frame of themachine which may be easily modified, if necessa- The guide meansmay-comprise a pair of tubes extending horizontally and parallel to theaxes of the bobbins and through which the driving cord or rope passes toshift the carrier; and the yarn guide may comprise a hook-shaped elementborne by the carrier and able to pick up the advancing yarn duringchangeover to shift.

same to the transfer tail zone of the next bobbin as same comes intoplace for winding.

As already mentioned, the present invention finds a useful applicationin connection with the structure.

described in application Ser. No. 728,966, which is a semi-automaticdevice employing a manually controlled lever which annularly shifts ahub which in turn controls the position of the fully wound and emptybobbin relatively to a drive cylinder. In my present invention, the cordmechanism is connected to the levercontrolled switching hub by means ofa spring box threaded into the latter with a preset tension springsupported therein and bearing against a sliding bolt receiving the endsof the cord mechanism arranged to shift the carrier when the bobbins areshifted by means of the lever. Stop means may be provided at the endzones of the traverse device to limit the movement of the carrier; andmeans including a compensating spring may be provided to compensate forextension of the cord mechanism after the carrier has reached astopmeans and can proceed no further.

There has thus been outlined rather broadly the more important featuresof the invention in order that the detailed description thereof thatfollows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course,additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which thisdisclosure is based may readily be utilized as the basis for thedesigning of other structures for carrying out the several purposes ofthe invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regardedas including such equivalent constructions as do not depart from thespirit and scope of the invention.

A specific embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes ofillustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawingswhich form a part of this specification wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view illustrating a winding device incorporatingapparatus according to the present invention and showing the same duringwinding with the yarn in central and in left extreme positions; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, butshown at the moment of formation of a transfer tail.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof,there is shown a machine 1 of the semi-automatic bobbin changing type asmentioned hereinbefore, in which two starshaped bobbin supports 2 and 2'are connected by a shaft 2" for rotation thereabout. The bobbinsextending between the extremities of the bobbin supports may be shiftedby means of a lever 4 fixed to a hub 3 and operable to rotate the samein the direction indicated by the arrow A; and a spring box 5 is rigidlyconnected with the hub 3 by screw 6 so that its longitudinal axis Yforms an angle a with the longitudinal axis X of the lever 4. The springbox 5 actually constitutes one end of a cord or rope traction device andserves to give the cord 12 thereof a desired pretension, as well as todelay its actuation when the lever is shifted, as will be more fullydescribed hereinafter.

The pretension of the cord 12 is actually effected by a tension spring 7positioned within the box 5, one end of the spring being supported on aclosure in the end of the box 5, the closure having an orifice 8, andthe other end of which is supported by an axially moveable gliding bolt9. The spring bears between the closure with the orifice 8 and the bolt9 to which the cord is attached and from which it extends through thebore 11 of the closure with the orifice 8 and on to a compensatingspring 14 to one end of which it is attached by means of a ring eye 13.The other end of the spring 14 is connected by means of a further ringeye 15 to a continuation of the cord 12' which extends at least part wayaround the pulley or sheave 17 and is anchored thereto. A second pulleyor sheave 18 of larger diameter than the sheave 17 is attached to thesame for rotation therewith about the shaft 21. A further extension ofthe cord 12" is anchored in the slot 20 of the sheave l8 and isconnected, by means of a ring coupling 23 and a ring eye 24, to afurther extension thereof 12" and its ring eye 25. The various couplingdevices make possible decoupling of the respective cord parts l2, 12,12'', 12" with considerable ease in cases of necessity such as whereassembly and disassembly are required.

The traverse device, indicated generally by the arrow 26, is easilyconnected with the machine 1 by attaching the traverse bottom plate tothe machine part 28 in advance of the bobbin 46, shown in windingposition, and parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof. Elements 27,27' serve to fix the plate 30 on a machine part (not shown). From thering coupling 23, the cord 12" passes partially around a roller 32arranged near one end of the bottom plate 30, and thence through a guidetube 33, 180 degrees around a roller 34 mounted at the other end of theplate 30 and to a carrier 35 to which the cord is connected by means ofscrews 36 and 37, 180 degrees around a further roller 38, through asecond guide tube 39 and to the end of a spring 41 in the tube 39, theother end of which is attached to a pin fixed to the bottom plate 30.

A wire 44 is bent to provide two upright portions at the ends of ahorizontal part, and this wire is supported by a bar 43 extending alongparallel to the axis of the bobbins and in advance thereof in themachine direction so as to guide the yarn 29 to an oscillating wind-upthread guide 42, 42' traversing within the winding zone 47 of the bobbinbody 46. A holding bar 45 is positioned just in advance of the wind-upthread guide 42 and extends over the winding length of the bobbin 46 tohold the thread down when the winding procedure has been terminated andthus to position.

same for gripping by guide means in the form of a hook 35' connected tothe carrier 35 and moveable therewith in order to form the transfer tailon the next bobbin 49 to be wound.

The bobbins are brought to rotation by means of a driving cylinder 48against which they are pressed during wind-up; and the lateral part 50of the bobbin 49, for example, is the transfer tail zone, the bobbinbody portion therebetween, such as that indicated by the referencenumeral 51, being the wind-up portion. After removal of a full bobbin,such as the bobbin 46, the same is replaced by an empty bobbin 49 (seeFIG. 2). It will be understood by those persons skilled in the art, thatthe traverse mechanism 26 can be exchanged for one which will bring thecarrier 35 in the opposite direction so that a transfer tail may beformed on either the left or right hand side of a bobbin, as desired.

In respect of the operation of the apparatus of the present invention,FIG. 1 shows the thread 29 during the winding procedure in centralposition, the thread 29' illustrated in broken lines in the left extremeposition, and the traverse device 26 in the inactive position; and FIG.2 illustrates the position of the respective parts at the moment offormation of a yarn reserve. In this case, the new take-up tube 49 isalready in winding position, and the full bobbin 46 is ready fordoffing.

The formation of the yarn reserve is effected as follows. The carrier 35is actuated by the switch lever 4 moving in the direction of arrow A toeffect the bobbin changing, and also shifting the spring box 5 to theposition shown in FIG. 2 whereupon tension is placed on the cord 12, thespring 14 and the cord 12' to rotate the sheaves 17 and 18 about theshaft 21 and draw the cords 12" and 12" in the direction of the arrow C,thus to shift the carrier 35 to the left, as viewed, so that the yarnguide 35 moves more or less perpendicularly in respect of the directionof introduction of yarn into the machine after removal of the fullbobbin 46 from contact with the driving cylinder 48 and the resulting,almost simultaneous removal of the yarn 29 from the yarn guide 42, toseize the yarn 29 held down by the bar 45 at any point within thetraversing zone of the winding yarn guide 42. The yarn is shifted by thehookshaped yarn guide 45' beyond the traverse zone and into the positionindicated by the numeral 29" (FIG. 2) and, therefore, to a position toengage the transfer tail zone 50 on the winding coil 49.

At this point, the bobbin changing procedure has been approximately halfcompleted, and the full bobbin 46 is in decelerating rotation winding upthe yarn for a further short period of time. The empty bobbin 49 passesthereafter to the driving cylinder 48 and commences rotation. Thetransfer tail zone 50 of the empty coil 49 which is roughened, indentedor flock-coated seizes the yarn 29', which action is favored by thedecelerating bobbin 46 and automatically tears off the yarn by thechange of direction of the yarn between the new take-up tube 49 and thefull bobbin 46. After several turns are wound onto the reserve zone 50of the coil 49, the switch lever 4 effecting bobbin changing is againbrought into its original position. Simultaneously therewith, thecarrier 35 with the hook-shaped yarn guide 35' shifts back to itsoriginal position (FIG. 1)

with the cooperation of the cords 12'', 12", 12 and 12 moving in thedirection indicated by arrow B, and retracting spring 41; and the thread29 is automatically seized by the winding guide 42 in its traversingzone, and is again led by the same towards the coil 49. It will beappreciated that the compensating spring 14 permits completion of thetraverse movement of the carrier. to the left as viewed, until it isstopped by contact with a stationary stop 31 and then, without unduestrain on the cords, it permits further movement of the lever 4 untilthe spool changing procedure is completed. A second stationary stop 31'serves to limit movement of the carrier to the right, as viewed.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that theapparatus of the present invention contributes to the reduction of theloss of yarn arising by reason of the formation of a transfer tail inthat small amounts of yarn are fed continuously during the shortswitching time necessary for bobbin changeover and that thread suctionor other handling devices are eliminated along with manual operationsbetween the rotating parts of the machine, wherefore the latent dangerof accident to personnel is reduced.

I believe that the construction and operation of my novel transfer tailtraction mechanism will now be understood, and that the advantages of myinvention will be fully appreciated by those persons skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for the automatic formation during continuous yarn deliveryof a transfer tail in a transfer tail zone adjacent a winding zone on abobbin, said apparatus having a frame-like bobbin support which isrotatable to bring bobbins mounted thereon successively into and out ofengagement with a bobbin driving element, a switching hub in rotatabledriving engagement with said bobbin support for rotating same to shiftsaid bobbins relatively to said driving element, characterized by atraverse device having guide means extending across the whole of thetransfer tail zone as well as the winding zone of a bobbin, a carriermounted on and slidable relative to said guide means, cord drive meansconnected between said switching hub and said carrier for producingcarrier movement when the switching hub is rotated, a yarn guidemoveable with said carrier for receiving a yarn during bobbin changingand shifting the yarn from the winding zone into the transfer tail zonesituated selectively in one of the two peripheral end zones of the emptybobbin, said cord drive means comprising a cord and a pretension springinterconnected serially between said carrier and said switching hubwhereby a delayed actuation of said carrier is produced by switchingrotation of said switching hub.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said yarn guide is a hookmounted on said carrier, said guide means are tubes extending parallelto the longitudinal axis of a bobbin body, and said carrier is mountedfor sliding movement on said tubes.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the traverse device comprisestwo rigid stop members arranged at the end zones of the same forsupporting the tubes and for limitation of the traversing movement ofthe carrier.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cord drive means for saidcarrier is connected to the switching hub by means of a spring box fixedin the latter with pretension spring supkported therein and against asliding bolt for receiving e end of the cord and against a closure witha bore through which the cord passes.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein stop means are provided tolimit the movement of said carrier and the drive means includes acompensating spring to allow further extension of said mechanism aftersaid carrier movement is stopped by said stop means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a spring is supported in oneof said tubes and extends between a pin and the drive means for movingthe carrier from the transfer tail zone of the take-up tube against oneof the stop members after spool changing has been terminated.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises apair of tubes extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of saidbobbins and extending across the winding zone and transfer tail zone Ithereof, said cord being mounted to extend along a path parallel to saidtubes.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein stop means are provided tolimit movement of said carrier and said cord drive mechanism includesspring means wherefore, when further movement of said carrier isprevented by said stop means, said lever may be further shifted tocomplete bobbin changeover without over tensioning said cord drivemechanism.

1. Apparatus for the automatic fOrmation during continuous yarn delivery of a transfer tail in a transfer tail zone adjacent a winding zone on a bobbin, said apparatus having a frame-like bobbin support which is rotatable to bring bobbins mounted thereon successively into and out of engagement with a bobbin driving element, a switching hub in rotatable driving engagement with said bobbin support for rotating same to shift said bobbins relatively to said driving element, characterized by a traverse device having guide means extending across the whole of the transfer tail zone as well as the winding zone of a bobbin, a carrier mounted on and slidable relative to said guide means, cord drive means connected between said switching hub and said carrier for producing carrier movement when the switching hub is rotated, a yarn guide moveable with said carrier for receiving a yarn during bobbin changing and shifting the yarn from the winding zone into the transfer tail zone situated selectively in one of the two peripheral end zones of the empty bobbin, said cord drive means comprising a cord and a pretension spring interconnected serially between said carrier and said switching hub whereby a delayed actuation of said carrier is produced by switching rotation of said switching hub.
 1. Apparatus for the automatic fOrmation during continuous yarn delivery of a transfer tail in a transfer tail zone adjacent a winding zone on a bobbin, said apparatus having a frame-like bobbin support which is rotatable to bring bobbins mounted thereon successively into and out of engagement with a bobbin driving element, a switching hub in rotatable driving engagement with said bobbin support for rotating same to shift said bobbins relatively to said driving element, characterized by a traverse device having guide means extending across the whole of the transfer tail zone as well as the winding zone of a bobbin, a carrier mounted on and slidable relative to said guide means, cord drive means connected between said switching hub and said carrier for producing carrier movement when the switching hub is rotated, a yarn guide moveable with said carrier for receiving a yarn during bobbin changing and shifting the yarn from the winding zone into the transfer tail zone situated selectively in one of the two peripheral end zones of the empty bobbin, said cord drive means comprising a cord and a pretension spring interconnected serially between said carrier and said switching hub whereby a delayed actuation of said carrier is produced by switching rotation of said switching hub.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said yarn guide is a hook mounted on said carrier, said guide means are tubes extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of a bobbin body, and said carrier is mounted for sliding movement on said tubes.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the traverse device comprises two rigid stop members arranged at the end zones of the same for supporting the tubes and for limitation of the traversing movement of the carrier.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cord drive means for said carrier is connected to the switching hub by means of a spring box fixed in the latter with said pretension spring supported therein and against a sliding bolt for receiving the end of the cord and against a closure with a bore through which the cord passes.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein stop means are provided to limit the movement of said carrier and the drive means includes a compensating spring to allow further extension of said mechanism after said carrier movement is stopped by said stop means.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a spring is supported in one of said tubes and extends between a pin and the drive means for moving the carrier from the transfer tail zone of the take-up tube against one of the stop members after spool changing has been terminated.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises a pair of tubes extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said bobbins and extending across the winding zone and transfer tail zone thereof, said cord being mounted to extend along a path parallel to said tubes. 